And the Morning Mists Shall Rise
written by:
Janet Fremont

And the Morning Mists Shall Rise

A sudden movement made Richard quickly snap his head around to the left, but it must have just been the wind moving a branch. Then as he turned back in the direction he was walking his face turned directly into another overhanging branch which promptly shed its load of cold water down the neck of his jacket, making him cry out a mild curse. He had at last decided he was lost. For the past two hours he had been following a continually diminishing trail through the September woods. Early that morning he had left his car parked at a trailhead and started down what more than two hundred years ago had been part of the Wilderness Road, leading pioneers from the east coast into Kentucky. Now it was a hikers' path through National Forest and across the Cumberland Gap. He had planed to spend the night in a small town about a mile off a side road and return tomorrow.

Now he had to admit he was lost. Lost and the sun had set a half hour ago. He hadn't seen a sign of any civilization for the past five hours since he had crossed the last road and now even the trail looked like it hadn't been trod for years. Sometime during the afternoon it had started to rain - a cold, wet rain - and, because only cloudy weather had been predicted, Richard wore only a light nylon jacket. Now he was cold and wet and lost and it was rapidly getting dark. At least the rain had stopped an hour ago, but now a misty fog was beginning to fill every low spot and the sky was still overcast.

He carried a daypack with a lunch, now eaten, and a water bottle. For the thousandth time he berated himself for violating every rule of hiking. He knew them, but like many hikers who later regretted it, he had decided that this time he could get away with ignoring them. It probably wouldn't be fatal. He might get pretty cold tonight but the temperature shouldn't go below the low forties. Then he remembered that most cases of hypothermia were at temperatures near fifty. Still, if he could find somewhere dry he would probably survive. But he would have to find shelter. He looked around in the hopes of seeing the lights of a town off to the side even as he realized he wouldn't be able to hike cross country in the dark in the unlikely event he should spot one. Well, it didn't matter: he didn't see any lights at all. He would just try to keep following the trail as long as there was enough light to see where to place his feet and hope to find a town or even a farm house by then.

But the way things had been going lately he was more likely to fall off a cliff or into a deep creek. Richard sighed to himself and thought about how this trip wasn't having quite the effect he had hoped.

Richard was a stock broker. Not a big Wall Street broker, but a moderately successful broker working out of Norfolk. He was twenty-eight and determined to be worth a million before he was thirty. If he wasn't, it wouldn't be for lack of trying. Fourteen hour days were not unusual for him. Of course, he didn't spend all of that buying and selling. After all the market was only open limited hours. But to know what to buy and sell he had to spend many, many hours going over company reports and evaluations of financial positions. When he had started this six years ago, he was so full of energy and determination that he never noticed the load. Now it was habit. It was a habit that had given him a net worth of over eight hundred thousand but had cost him. It had cost him elevated blood pressure. It had cost him vacations never taken, trips never made. It had cost him a fiancee.

He had met Brenda a year ago when he ducked into an all night diner for some late supper after one of the days when he had worked until ten at night. She came through the door ten seconds after him and somehow they had started talking and ended up eating together. She was a new high school teacher - French and Spanish - and had been in town less than a week. In fact the reason she was in the diner was that she had been unpacking stuff in her apartment all day and had nothing to cook as yet. Over the next few months they had gone out more and more frequently until in May he had given her a ring. Then somewhere in the next few months - Richard couldn't even tell exactly when - things had started to go wrong. His more and more frequent last minute calls to cancel a date because he had to work late began to take their toll. He also became slightly - maybe not irritated, but at least uncomfortable - with her lack of what he thought of as ambition. Brenda had no long term goal except to continue teaching. He thought she should aim to found her own school or become an education consultant or something. Bit by bit, one small irritant at a time, their relationship wore until three weeks ago she had returned the ring and they had called everything off.

Within the same week one of the larger deals Richard had been putting together fell through and not only did he miss out on an expected large commission but also a hundred thousand profit of his own. Actually he had lost nearly fifteen thousand of his own money. His boss at the brokerage firm was not overly pleased and Richard was almost certain he would lose out on an expected promotion and bonus this year.

Overall, things had not been going well lately.

When he thought back to his college days he remembered that all he had really been interested in doing was writing fiction. But when he graduated he needed to make a living and, through a combination of luck and hard work, he had ended up in the brokerage field. He found he had a flare for it and soon it consumed him while his writing ambitions moved more and more into some distant future. Now he wondered why. He had decided to take this weekend off and try to relax a little, forget about work and Brenda. Instead he seemed to have screwed this up, too. Cold water ran down his back again and he could also feel dampness start to leak through his boots.

Twenty minutes later he could barely see the trail at all and it had started to rain again. This time it seemed even colder and he believed a cold front had moved east from the bluegrass into the mountains. Without seeing it, he walked directly into another branch and received another shower of cold liquid and realized he was already shivering hard. How could he have missed the trail? He had no idea. He hadn't seen even a side trail or any other kind of junction for hours. He was about to give up and try to find some shelter under some overhanging rocks or maybe against a tree trunk beside the trail when he rounded a corner and thought he saw a glimmer of light through the trees off to his right. He cautiously moved ahead and the light became a little brighter.

The trail had become more of a semi-overgrown rut with small saplings growing across what once must have been a road ten feet wide but was now just discernable among the larger trees on either side. As the light strengthened he saw what looked to be another overgrown path splitting off to the right and leading in the direction of the yellow illumination. Richard wasn't sure what the light was but it was almost certainly better than a cold wet night huddled against a dripping tree trunk, so he turned towards it. In another few yards the light resolved itself into a yellow spot in the window of a cabin. As he approached he saw that the cabin was a small log affair and the light was a single candle inside.

Thankfully he made his way up to the door and knocked calling out, "Hello. Anyone there?"

He heard a sudden movement inside and the candle shifted, changing shadows flowing across the walls. In a few seconds the door opened and inside Richard saw a young woman, maybe nineteen or twenty or so, holding the candle. She was about five foot two, eight inches shorter than Richard's five ten. Her hair was a dark honey blonde - or so it looked in the candle light - and, tied back with a yellow ribbon, reached well below her shoulders. She was wearing an ankle length dress, old fashioned in appearance and simple in style, a light brown color.

Richard was shivering so hard he could hardly speak and tried to explain what he was doing there. "Well, come on in out of the rain," the woman said, standing back. Her accent sounded a lot like the local Tennessee-Kentucky, but with a slight lilt which might have had some Irish influence. She didn't seem afraid or even startled to see Richard appear at her door.

Gratefully Richard shook off what water he could and came inside. Looking around he saw one room, about ten by eighteen. There was a table and four chairs at one end and another two chairs, somewhat larger and more comfortable, in the center facing a stone fireplace. Richard's attention was immediately drawn here where a healthy fire blazed. He made his way over to stand shivering in front of the blaze before even noticing any of the rest of the room. With his teeth still chattering he looked around and saw there was another small doorway which probably led to a bedroom.

The woman set the candle on a small side table which was next to one of the fireplace chairs and, looking Richard frankly up and down, said, "Looks like you got caught out in the rain. I've seen drowned rabbits that looked a mite dryer," but her smile took any malice from the comment.

Still shaking Richard tried to explain. "I guess I lost the trail. I didn't think it was going to rain and I expected to get into to town before dark. I don't even know where I am. How far is town anyway?"

The woman smiled at him. "It's a long piece off," she replied. "You won't be getting there tonight. But you're welcome to stay here. I'm Katie Branden."

"I'm sorry, I should have introduced myself. I'm Richard Boone."

"Any relation to Dan'l?" the woman asked with a smile.

Richard laughed. "If I were, would I be lost?"

The woman joined his laughter and shook her head. "Daddy used to say that Dan'l was lost most of the time but he just said he was explorin'. Look you'd better get out of those clothes before you catch your death." Richard started to say something, but she went on, "I think I can find something you can put on around here." She looked him up and down again. "You're a pretty big one," she added, almost to herself.

She went back into the bedroom, if that's what it was, and while she was rummaging around Richard looked around the room. Not only were there no electric lights there didn't appear to be anything even the least bit modern. Even the furniture looked homemade. He almost began to wonder if this was one of the displays in a pioneer village, but it was nearly three weeks after Labor Day and anything like that would have been closed. Besides he hadn't seen any other buildings and the trail had been nearly overgrown.

The woman returned with a pair of pants and a white shirt. The pants were wool and the shirt looked and felt like course linen. She handed him the clothes along with a course towel. "These were Daddy's," she said. He was a mite smaller than you, but I think they'll fit. I'll just go back in the other room while you get out of those wet things. Call out when you're ready."

Richard took off his jacket and shirt and used the towel to dry himself. He put on the dry shirt and then took off his sodden pants. He hesitated a second and then also removed his wet underwear, dried his legs, and put on the wool pants. He called out and was removing his wet socks when the girl came back into the room.

"Thank you. That feels a lot better already."

"You're welcome. I'll bet with that rain you haven't had anything to eat tonight, have you?" Richard admitted he hadn't. "Well, I've got some stew left on the hearth. You're welcome to it."

It wasn't until then that Richard noticed the only cooking facility in the cabin was the fireplace. Here an iron pot hung in the front, out of the fire but close enough to keep warm. "Thank you again."

The woman brought him a heavy plate and a spoon and then ladled stew onto the plate. She placed a mug of water next to it.

As he ate, Richard looked around the cabin. "Are you up here by yourself?" he asked.

She seemed to hesitate and then answered, "Now. Been here since I was seven. Daddy and Mama used to live here but they got themselves killed on a trip to Lexington a couple of years ago."

"I'm sorry," Richard answered.

"That's all right. I'm used to it now. Used to be a couple of neighbors, too, but they up and moved off last year. Where are you from?"

"I live in Norfolk, over in Virginia. I was hiking along the trail and planned to start home day after tomorrow."

"Norfolk. That's a fair piece. I haven't been there since I was a little girl. I expect it's a pretty big town by now."

"It is pretty good sized. Not as big as a lot of the cities on the coast, but certainly not small."

The woman cleared away the plate and mug and returned to sit in the chair by the fire. She had a small notebook in which she was writing using an old fashioned pen and inkwell. When Richard looked at it questioningly she said simply, "My journal." Richard nodded and let her return to her writing. After some time, Richard yawned, and the girl looked up and said, "I expect you're pretty tired. Let me get you some blankets and you can bed down out here."

She disappeared into the other room again and returned in a minute with several heavy woolen blankets. She dumped them on the floor a few feet from the fireplace and said, "It isn't a featherbed, but you should be warm and dry."

"It's more than enough," Richard said. "I can't thank you enough."

"Maybe I'll think of some way you can," she said cryptically, a strange smile on her face.

The woman did something to the fire, probably banking it for the night, picked up the candle and moved back into the second room, leaving the main room lit only by the flickering firelight. Richard realized he was nearly asleep just standing there. Somewhere back in his mind he understood this was his body's reaction to the stress of the cold and wet, but that didn't matter. He could hardly keep his eyes open.

He quickly spread a couple of the folded blankets on the floor a few feet from the fire and lay down, pulling another blanket over him. He was asleep before he took a second breath.

Richard suddenly blinked his eyes open. The room was totally dark except for some glowing coals in the fireplace. It took a few seconds for him to remember where he was - at least in general since he still didn't know exactly - but then it all came flooding back. He guessed he must have been asleep for three or four hours and looked around to see what might have awakened him.

He didn't see or hear anything unusual until he looked over towards the one window. The world outside was brightly lit. The rain had stopped and evidently the overcast had also cleared for now brilliant moonlight turned the world outside a magic silver. He stood up and started towards the window. The cabin was slightly cool now that the fire had died and he wrapped one of the blankets around his shoulders as he moved over and stood staring out through the old and slightly wavy glass.

It was a fairy world. Light from the full harvest moon cast shadows everywhere. Silver glinted off of wet leaves and changed to inky blackness below or behind an interfering trunk. And a fog had started in the low places. Or maybe it had started elsewhere, but now it flowed down and filled the hollows. He could see it top low rises and slide down hills into depressions, swirl around stumps, and fill the low places in the road. A magic world of silver light, inky shadows, and silent gray mists.

A sudden low noise startled him and he spun around to peer into the cabin room. His eyes, now used to the bright moonlight, took some seconds before he could make out anything in the room. Then he saw Katie. She was standing in the doorway to the bedroom, watching him. She was dressed in an ankle length nightgown which looked white in the reflected light within the room but could have been any light color. Her hair was loose and hanging down her back and all he could see of her face was reflected points of light from her eyes and the ghost of a mouth.

Silently, on bare feet, she walked over and joined him at the window, stopping to stare through it at the haunting world outside. He turned to stand next to her, also looking out. He wanted to say something but could not think of a single word that seemed proper. For perhaps a minute they stood side by side, watching the slowly moving mists, and then Katie said in an almost ghostly voice, "Moonlight silvers the land; The trees, the streams, the lovers there."

The strange words sent shivers up Richard's spine. "What was that?" he asked.

Katie shook her head slightly. She smiled and looked at him. "It's just part of something I wrote. Something to describe nights like this."

Richard looked back at her intently. "I'd like to hear the rest of it."

Katie shook her head. "There's only two verses so far. Goes like this.

Moonlight silvers the land; The trees, the streams, the lovers there. Playing the trees with shadows Turning the streams to silver Changing the lovers to gold.

Then fog slides down the mountain Covering the low ground, the streams, the lovers. Filling the valleys Filling the hollows Filling the lovers' souls."

For a few seconds Richard held his breath. Goose bumps covered his arms and he knew it wasn't from the cold. "That's lovely. Someday I'd like to hear the rest of it."

"Someday maybe I'll know the rest of it." She turned towards him. "Hold me, Richard. I'm cold."

Surprised at this unexpected turn of circumstances, Richard was slow to react as Katie pressed herself against him and it was several seconds before his arms wrapped themselves around her shoulders, enclosing them both in the blanket. Katie put her head against the hollow of his shoulder and Richard stood still, his hands on her back. He could feel her shivering under the linen of the nightgown. He was also very aware that he could feel the firmness of her breasts against his chest and the press of the taut curves of her hips and thighs against his legs. He tried to pull back slightly before his own beginning arousal became evident to her, but she grasped him with surprising strength, holding him tightly to her.

For a couple of minutes they stood like that and he could feel her shivering begin to subside. His hands, of their own accord, began to gently stroke her shoulders and down her back. Katie sighed and lifted a hand to gently stroke down the side of his face. She turned her face up to his and caught his eyes with her own. "Kiss me, Richard."

Richard wasn't sure but that maybe he was still asleep, lost in some strange dream. That wouldn't be unusual after the stress of the past day added on top of the stress of the past months. But it wasn't a dream. It was a strange and dreamlike world, all right, but the woman in his arms was definitely real. His heart was pounding so hard he was sure she could hear it or maybe even feel it. This impression was reenforced as she began to work her hand inside his shirt and placed it over his heart, it's warmth seeming to burn a lasting imprint.

He didn't even know this girl, had met her only a few hours ago. Still, he could swear she was not the type who made a come on play for any man, known or not. His mind churned with questions even as his lips moved to grant her request. She lifted her face to him and he lowered his to meet hers until their lips brushed together. He had expected a warm, but chase, kiss, perhaps even a hard one, but no more. Instead his mind shook as their lips pressed together and she opened her mouth to him, her tongue probing hard against his own lips until he, too, opened and let his tongue begin a joint exploration.

The cabin, the moonlight, the outside world vanished in a limbo containing only the two of them. Richard had no idea how long that kiss lasted. He only knew it was very long and very, very good.

He held her and his hands stroked up and down her back, feeling the firm flesh and hard muscle through the thin linen. Katie began to unbutton his shirt and soon her hands were exploring him. Her hands weren't soft like many women's, but not really rough either. They were hands that did a lot of work but whose owner still took care of them. She let them glide over his back and make gentle circles on his chest while her head rested against the hollow of his neck. Richard held her close, moving only his own hands, letting them seek out and admire her planes and hollows. He ran his palm down her back and softly moved it over the curve of her rounded buttocks. Katie responded by pressing herself closer to him. She looked up into his eyes and, almost too faintly to hear, said, "Make love to me, Richard."

To Richard this was all unreal. He had never been a spur of the moment type of person. He had never taken a girl to bed on a first date and, in fact, had rarely kissed on a first date. This wasn't even a date. This woman had offered him shelter and food but beyond that they knew nothing of each other. Richard pulled his head back slightly and said, "Are you sure? You don't even know me."

Katie smiled up at him. "I know you more than you know. Yes, I'm sure. Take me into the bed and make love to me."

Almost in a trance Richard scooped the girl up into his arms. He was in good shape and the girl was slender so he was able to carry her with little effort. She put her arms around his neck and he could feel her body pulling against him as they moved across the cabin. He carried her through the doorway and saw the second room for the first time. There was bed and a small bedside table, a single chair, and a wardrobe. All looked to be handmade as was everything else he had seen in the cabin. The bed was a double and Richard guessed this had been her parent's room before they were killed. A small window allowed the silver moonlight to softly illuminate the space.

He lowered her to her feet and she stood, her arms still around his neck. Feeling somewhat confused and a little awkward, Richard hesitated. "Yes," Katie urged him on. "I do want this." She raised her arms above her head, pulling off her nightgown. She wore nothing beneath it and Richard stared. Her skin was pale in the moonlight, but not a pasty white. Instead it looked almost a light gold color. Her breasts were not large, but were firm and her nipples erect. Her face and form were maybe not what would be considered classic beauty, but she was certainly pretty. Her arms and legs were slender and tapered, and well muscled. There were slight crinkles at the corners of her mouth and eyes, as though she spent a lot of time outdoors, or perhaps just that she smiled a lot. To Richard she was more lovely than anyone he had ever seen.

For several seconds she stood still as he caressed her with his eyes, neither ashamed or nor especially proud of her nudity, but merely accepting it as natural. Then she reached for the waist of Richard's pants and began to unbutton them. She let them fall to the floor and he stepped out of them as she reached to grasp his manhood, now rigid with desire. Richard forgot his confusion and pulled her to him, cupping her buttocks and kissing her deeply. A hand rose to slide over a firmly rounded breast and his fingers brushed a stiff nipple. A soft moan escaped her lips and emerged into his throat where it joined a groan of his own.

He lifted her and laid her on the bed. For several seconds he stood looking down at the play of light and shadow on her form, her golden skin seeming to glow even brighter than the moonlight itself. Then he knelt on the bed and bent to slowly kiss her lips, her eyes, her throat, her breasts. For a long time he kissed and caressed and she returned measure for measure. Then when they could wait no longer, urged on and guided by her small fingers, he began that most wonderful of motions, penetrating and bringing pleasure as unreal in its own way as the mist and moonlight visible through the window.

Later they lay together spent, not speaking, hardly moving, drifting into the twilight world that was neither sleeping nor waking. They must have slept for after awhile Richard began to emerge from a world of strange dreams back to the equally strange reality of finding himself clinging together with a women he really didn't know at all. But feeling something for her he couldn't explain or even really believe. In all the time he had gone with Brenda, their many times of lovemaking, he had never had such a feeling before. He stared down at her, skin a pale gold, hair a darker gold. Her breathing was slow and regular, her eyes closed in relaxed sleep. As he looked at her he felt a contentment greater than any he had ever known. The idea that he was in love with her, knowing her for only a few hours, seemed silly. More than silly. It wasn't just that they had made love. He had slept with girls a lot more skilled and more passionate, but had never felt like this. He had bought Brenda a ring and planned to spend his life with her, yet she had never cast such a spell, never evoked the emotions that now seemed to engulf him.

Just then she stirred slightly and in a couple of seconds her eyes blinked open. She was immediately awake and smiled up at him. He opened his mouth to say something and she placed a finger across his lips, shaking her head slightly from side to side. Then she pulled him down into another kiss and soon the wonder of the previous hour was repeated.

And twice more it was repeated. As they lay together following the last time, their breathing returning to normal, the room darkened as if a cloud had crossed the moon. Richard looked towards the window and could see that the sky still looked clear, stars making hard points of bright white in the blue-black. Then a tendril of mist slid across the landscape and the moonlight dimmed. More and more of the fog continued to flow until only occasionally would the moon shine into the room as he drifted back to sleep.

Morning. Gray light filtered through the window illuminating the small room. A blanket had been pulled up over him and Katie was gone. He looked around for her but she wasn't in the room and through the window he could see nothing but gray mist and the shadow of nearby trees. Then he heard small sounds from the main room. He got up and looked for the wool pants he had been wearing the previous evening. Instead he saw his own clothes, now dry, lying on the chair. Richard quickly dressed and went out to the main room.

Katie, wearing a dress of dark blue wool, was bending over the fireplace, pulling a cast iron Dutch oven from the heat. Another iron kettle, emitting a trail of steamy vapor, hung near the flames. Richard stopped. He had been moving towards her to take her in his arms. Then suddenly he began to wonder if he had imagined the entire episode. Had she really made love to him or was it all a dream induced by his worn state and an unfulfilled desire in his life? No, he couldn't believe that. It had to have been real. If, for no other reason, than the way he now felt about her. He remembered the all consuming feeling from the night and it was still with him. Unlike anything he had ever felt for any woman. That had to be real.

As he stood there, Katie straightened and turned towards him. She set the Dutch oven down and in one fluid movement came to him and melted against him. Yes, it had been real. His arms moved to encircle her as hers wrapped around his neck and their lips found their way to each other. When the kiss ended she spoke. "Good morning, Richard."

The kiss had been warm and loving. The greeting seemed somewhat reserved, almost regretful or maybe apprehensive. "Good morning," he answered, and his own voice seemed to echo the tone of hers.

She moved from him back to the fireplace where she opened the hanging pot and ladled out two bowls of what looked like oatmeal. She set these on the table and returned to the Dutch oven which was revealed to contain cornbread. She placed several pieces of the hot bread on a plate and set it on the table along with a small crock butter and another of honey. "Breakfast," was all she said.

Richard moved to the table and held her chair as she sat and then took another chair himself. They ate in silence, Richard wondering if something was wrong or if everything was exactly right. He felt confused, mixed up, baffled, disorientated. He had never felt like this about any woman and he thought Katie felt the same about him - but her reserved actions and silence left him wondering.

Finally he could take it no longer and said, "Katie. Last night was more wonderful than any I've ever known. And you make me feel - I don't know - I guess, more emotional about you than I ever have about anyone. I'm not saying I've fallen in love with you because I'm not sure what love is. But I think I may have. Katie, I don't want to leave you. I hope you feel something for me, too."

She smiled at him, a kind of joyous, but at the same time, sad smile. "I do know what love is and I have fallen in love with you. Richard, I wish we could be together, but I know we can't."

"Why not? Why not just leave here today and come back to Norfolk with me.? I have money enough to take care of both of us. Come with me, Katie."

"I can't," she replied in anguished tones. "I know you won't understand, Richard, but I can't leave here, no matter how much I want." Then her face changed slightly, losing a little of its unhappy look, becoming slightly hopeful. "Could you stay here? Here with me?"

"You mean right here? In this cabin?" She nodded. "What would we live on? My job is in Norfolk, Katie. Come with me instead."

She shook her head back and forth in anguish. "I can't! You don't understand, but I just can't. But I do love you, Richard."

Richard was now both confused and a little hurt. "You can't come with me but you want me to just stay here? Why can't you come?"

Katie was shaking her head back and forth and he could see tears escaping from her eyes. "You won't understand. I just can't go."

Richard swallowed his resentment. He couldn't understand why she wouldn't tell him what the problem was, but he could see it was hurting her also. Slowly he got control of his own mixed up emotions and suddenly it came to him what he really wanted to do about everything. His own shock at the realization was tremendous. But he knew it was - finally - what he really wanted. "All right. But tell me one thing, Katie. Do you really love me and want me here?"

She visibly regained her composure. The tears stopped and she dabbed at her eyes to dry them. A slight smile appeared. "Yes, Richard, I love you. I want you here with me."

Richard made a decision. It was probably the biggest decision of his life and he - a man who never did anything on impulse, but carefully planned each move - decided to change his future because of a woman he had known less than twelve hours. He suddenly felt as though a heavy weight had slipped from his shoulders and felt his muscles really relax for the first time in months. Shaking his head slightly at the new emotions overwhelming him, he said, "All right. I don't know what I'll do. I don't understand what's happened to me, but I know this is what I want, too. I'll come here to you." Her face had brightened into a smile that seemed to light the gray morning. She started to come to him as he continued, "I'll have to go back to Norfolk to quit my job and clear everything up. But I'll be back here in less than a month. To stay."

At his last words Katie had frozen. The smile slipped and her face became tight as though she was forcing herself to hide some great sadness. Dully, she said, "If you go, you'll never come back here. Stay now. Please, Richard."

Richard couldn't understand this sudden change. "Of course I'll come back. I can't just disappear out of my old life. I have a job and I have to take care of financial things. Sell my house and so on. But I'll be back."

Katie was shaking her head slowly back and forth. "No, if you leave I'll never see you again. Please stay."

Richard was ready to completely change his life for her, but she didn't want to concede anything. He felt he was being pushed too far and said, "I can't do that. But I promise I'll come back. I'll be here in a month. By the next full moon, I promise. Will you be here when I come?"

A sad and resigned look flowed over Katie's face. "I promise I'll wait. You won't come back, Richard. But I'll wait."

Both now fell into silence and soon Richard decided it was best if he started back. He collected his jacket and daypack. When he was ready Katie went with him to the door. He held her in his arms and hugged her to him. "I love you, Katie, and I'll be back," he murmured. "By the next full moon."

Katie clung to him, her face buried against his throat. "I love you. But you won't come back. It will be too late and our chance will be gone."

"I promise I'll be back. Wait for me."

"I'll wait. But I'll never see you again. Kiss me, Richard. Kiss me, and then go. I love you."

They kissed deeply, holding the tight embrace for many minutes. When they pulled apart Richard started to say something, but Katie placed her fingers across his lips. "Go," she whispered.

Richard looked longingly into her eyes and then nodded slightly before turning and starting down the path he had come up only last night. By the time he had gone fifty yards the gray mists had cloaked the cabin and all he could see was the trail close to him, the gray fog, and the shadows of nearby trees. The cabin had disappeared from his view.

Richard walked at a quick pace. He felt a great emptiness at leaving Katie but also felt happy with his decision to change his life and come back to her. There was no doubt of that. Come October he would return here, free of obligations, ready to spend his life with Katie Branden.

He walked on, following the trail, and in a half hour the fog began to rise and the sun shone out of a clear blue sky. Sometime - he didn't notice exactly when - he started seeing trail markers again and by mid afternoon reached his car at the trailhead lot.

Richard astounded his boss when he handed in his letter of resignation. Not so much that he was resigning, but that he wasn't going into business for himself. Even more so that he said he was leaving the brokerage field altogether. He placed his house for sale and told the real estate agent to "get what you can for it as soon as I leave." Richard had no family to tell of his sudden changes and the few friends he began to confide in seemed to think he had lost his mind. It didn't matter. He thought of Katie constantly. How could she have ever thought he wouldn't be back? Instead of his longing waning with time, he was consumed with her. He even sold his Lexus and replaced it with a four wheel drive more suited to the Cumberlands.

By the third week of October he was ready to leave Norfolk without a backwards glance. He drove straight through to Middlesboro and found a motel. Richard had considered the problem of reaching Katie once he was there. He had no idea where a road might access her cabin or even exactly where the cabin was. The only way he knew was to hike down the same trail. He was certain he would have no problem doing this as he had memorized every part of it on the way back out.

Early the next morning he packed a daypak with some lunch and this time a warm, waterproof jacket. He also packed an engagement ring. He planned to surprise Katie and later, when he knew the roads nearby, bring his car up. This time he drove to a closer trailhead and picked up the trail at what he guessed would be about a three hour hike to her cabin.

It was a clear, cool day and Richard started down the trail feeling better than he had in years. The leaves were turning to unbelievable colors which shone against the cobalt sky as though alight themselves. After three hours he was so high he scarcely felt the trail beneath his feet. By four he was beginning to worry a little, but the trail had looked just as he remembered it. By six hours he was terribly distressed. Everything had looked right, but he had not found her cabin. In fact he had found nothing: not even a side trail. He turned around and began walking back to his car, searching every foot of the trail.

He couldn't see how he could have missed it. The next day he tried all over again and with the same results. Bewildered and confused, Richard returned to the motel for a third night and decided that tomorrow he would try a different tactic. Instead of just walking out and looking for it, he would stop somewhere and try to find where she lived, maybe get a map showing the road to her place. He fell asleep, worried but confident that the next day he would find her.

The next morning after breakfast he began at the Middlesboro post office. They had no address for a Katie Branden. When he couldn't tell them exactly how close to Middlesboro she lived, he was told that maybe she was in a different district.

He tried the local police station but they told him they didn't keep records of addresses unless someone was arrested. Perhaps he should try the phone company. He knew she didn't have a phone, but thanked them and went out.

Over the next several hours he tried every avenue he could think of with no result. At four o'clock he found himself in the local library inquiring at the reference desk. They had no local list except the phone book. Then one of the librarians said, "You might try asking Katherine Franklin. She works over at the local newspaper and they might have something there."

He thanked them and hurried over to the paper, making it just before closing time. He gave his name and asked at the desk for Katherine Franklin and was told to wait just a minute and they'd get her.

Richard looked around the office for a minute or two, finding nothing of interest, and by now not expecting anything much. A door to the back opened and a woman about Richard's age, perhaps a couple of years younger, came through. She held out her hand and said, "I'm Katherine Franklin. You must be Richard Boone. How can I help you."

Richard found himself staring at her. She was about five foot five, had honey blonde hair cut at her shoulders, and eyes of a deep emerald green. Beyond this she bore only a superficial resemblance to Katie, but it was still close enough to surprise him. And there was something about her nose and the shape of her face.

He shook himself and belatedly offered his hand. "I'm trying to find someone. I've been all over town and at the library they suggested I see you."

"Well, I'll certainly try to help. Who is it you're looking for?"

"Her name is Katie Branden. She's about twenty years old and lives in a cabin somewhere near here. I met her last month while I was hiking."

For a second Katherine gave him a funny look. Then she said, "You're sure that's her name? Well, I can check the files here and see if we've ever done anything on her. If you'd like to take a seat, it will only take me a minute or two." She smiled at him and added, "It's a lot easier now that we have everything on computers."

He sat down and she disappeared back through the door to the inner office. It was more like four or five minutes before she returned. "I'm sorry, but we don't seem to have anything in our files. There's one more place I can try. I'm involved with the local historical society and we have family files. I know one of them is Branden. In fact, there's a Katie Branden a ways back, so maybe the woman you're looking for is from the same family. We just might have something on her. I'm done here, so if you'd like, we can walk over there now and check."

"I hate to put you to so much trouble, but I really would appreciate it."

"It's really not much trouble. It's not far from here and I've got nowhere I have to be." She gave him a wide smile. "Just let me grab my jacket and shut down my office. I'll only be another minute."

This time it was only a minute before she reappeared, carrying a small purse and wearing a light nylon mountain parka. Richard held the door for her and she indicated the direction to their right.

They walked for about three blocks before coming to a small, two story brick building. It was locked but Katherine had a key and let them inside. She turned on lights and led the way to a small office with her name on a card near the door. A computer rested on the desk and she immediately sat down and flicked it on. While it was booting she said, "We have the references all on computer. Of course the documents themselves are filed away, but if we have anyone of that name in our files, I'll know it in a second."

She examined several files and finally shook her head. "The only Katie Branden is the one I spoke of, and she died sometime right after the Civil War. I thought maybe there was a descendant of the same name I hadn't noticed." Richard gave her a questioning look and she explained. "I'm actually related to her myself, but a long ways back, so I've looked at the Branden history before. The Brandens have been here a long time - since about 1785 or so. I just thought I might have missed someone."

Somehow Richard wasn't surprised: He had just hoped. Now he wasn't sure exactly what to do next. He was so sure Katie would be there, waiting for him, and now he couldn't even find her cabin, much less her. "Would you have, or know someone who might have, anything that told where there are cabins around here?"

"We don't and I doubt anyone else would either. There are hundreds of cabins in this area. I guess it depends on exactly what you mean by cabin'."

"Log cabin. It looked just like the ones you see in pictures of the pioneers."

"There are a lot of replicas around. Most, but not all, of them have modern insides, but from the outside they can look two centuries old."

"This one wasn't modern on the inside either. I don't know, I guess it's not likely anyone would have it listed since the post office didn't." He shook his head and was silent for a few seconds. "I guess I'll try to think of something else to try in the morning. I'd like to thank you for your help. You've been awfully kind. If you don't have any plans, maybe you'll let me buy you dinner to thank you."

"You don't have to do that. It really hasn't been that much trouble."

"No, you've really done a great deal. I really would like to buy you dinner. And I'd like to hear some more about the Brandens, if you'd tell me."

Katherine hesitated a couple of seconds and Richard thought she was going to decline again, but then she seemed to come to a decision and said, "All right. I accept."

Somehow this made Richard feel much better and he waited while Katherine shut down her computer and turned off the lights before leaving the building. "You'll have to suggest somewhere," Richard said. "I've only eaten breakfast and one dinner in town, and those were at the motel. In fact, I didn't even get around to lunch today."

"OK. Let's see. There's a small place down the street here. Unless you'd prefer one of the chains."

"No, you are definitely the expert. I can eat at a chain anytime."

"In that case, it's about two blocks from here." She indicated the direction and Richard, in an overly dramatic gesture, bowed and held out his arm for her to take. She laughed but put her hand on his arm and they started down the street.

The restaurant was small - only six tables - but the food was excellent. It was typical all-American food, home cooked and with portions that were actually big enough to see. Once they had tasted their choices, Richard said, "OK. Now what can you tell me about the Katie Branden you do know?"

"Well, I don't know her - she's been dead for well over a century - but sometimes I wish I had known her. She was an extraordinary woman. She came here with her parents when she was six or seven, along with two older brothers. That would have been in about 1785. Her parents had emigrated from Ireland and had lived in North Carolina for twenty years before they decided to move west. They built a cabin up alongside the Wilderness Road and opened a road house for the pioneers who were then streaming over the mountains into Kentucky. That was only ten years after Boonesboro was founded, but there were large numbers moving west then, so the Road was pretty busy. Anyway, they provided meals and a place where the women could wash clothes and so on. They did fairly well for several years and then the traffic began to spread out to other routes and the numbers dwindled. There had been several others who settled near them, but by 1795 the others had moved and the Brandens were the only ones left. Actually, Katie and her parents were all that still lived there. Her brothers had grown and moved out on their own. Both of them later moved back to the area, but then they had moved on down into Kentucky."

"Most families were pretty self sufficient then, so even without many travelers, the Brandens got along. Then about 1796 her parents were killed. I think their wagon went into a river and they both drowned. They had left eighteen year old Katie at home and when word of their accident came, she decided to stay on by herself. A lot of people tried to talk her out of it, but she had her mind made up. She lived by herself, alone in the cabin, for seven years until one day a traveler, by the name of John Franklin stopped on his way west. He never left. They were married and remained in the same area but they built a new house after a couple of years. They had two sons, Richard and James."

Katherine stopped for a second, her fork half way to her mouth, a surprised and thoughtful look on her face. "Come to think of it, Richard's middle name was Boone, just like yours. He always said that it was because his mother had said he was some relation to Daniel. Still, it's an interesting coincidence, isn't it?"

Katie lived there for almost another seventy years. One reason I know so much about her is that she kept journals. We have most of them in the historical archives and I've read them all. Along with raising a family and running the place, she found time to write a lot of poetry. She eventually had one volume published - Cumberland Trails. It was well accepted and she's still regarded as one of the true pioneers, not only of the region, but of American poetry. Some of her work was even done in free verse, years before it was accepted anywhere else.

"John died in about 1838, but Katie lived on until 1867. Some of the Branden and Franklin families lived there until the late 1800s. A lot of them are still in the area, but all that's left of the original places are a few ruins and the family graveyard."

"You mean there's still ruins of the cabins after more than two hundred years?" Richard asked incredulously.

"That's right. There are a lot of old cabins - or rather cabin parts - left in these mountains. And a lot of family graveyards. Would you like to see them sometime?"

Richard thought for only a few seconds. He didn't quite know why, but it seemed very important to him that he visit the home of his Katie's ancestors if that's who they were. "Yes, I think I'd really like that. Can you tell me how to get there?"

"It's a little hard to describe. The only way is to go on foot. There's an old trail off the Wilderness Road trail that leads to it, but it's kind of hard to find." She stopped and looked at him and came to a decision. "You look like you might do some hiking."

He nodded. "That's right. I'm a backpacker."

"All right. Tomorrow's Friday. I could show you how to get there, but I can't leave until noon so if you want to have time to look around we'd have to camp overnight."

"I'd love that," Richard said. "But I don't want to put you to that much trouble."

"It's no trouble. I've studied the Brandens a lot and I'd like to go back there again myself. Do you have any gear with you?"

"As a matter of fact, I have everything I need. Suppose I pick you up when you get off tomorrow and we can take my car."

"All right, if you think your car can handle some rough roads."

"It's a Blazer. Shouldn't be a problem."

"OK then, why don't you come to my apartment about twelve thirty. That will give me time to get home and change." She told him how to find her apartment.

Richard went back to his motel. For a long time he just sat in the room, lights off, thinking about everything. He had been so sure Katie would be waiting and he would find her right where he had left her. Now he couldn't even find the cabin. As he watched the nearly full moon through the motel window he almost began to wonder if he had dreamed the entire episode. After all, he had no real physical proof that she had ever existed. He remembered everything - everything! - in great detail but if he were asked to prove he had stopped at a cabin and spent the night, much less made love to Katie Branden, well, he couldn't do it. For the last month he had never questioned the existence of any of it. It was definitely real to him. But he had to admit that he had read of many people whose hallucinations seemed so real that no amount of evidence to the contrary could convince them otherwise. And in his case there was no evidence either way. He also had to admit that he had been under a lot of physical and mental strain that night. Still ...

For nearly three hours Richard sat, thought, and stared out the window. He was certain it had been real. If he had spent that night huddled against some wet tree, he would have remembered it, wouldn't he? The detail of his memories was too great to have been imagination, wasn't it? In the end he still believed that everything had happened, but a small crack was appearing in his beliefs.

Richard slept fitfully that night and when he awoke, much later than was usual for him, he felt tired and a little depressed. Even the clear, bright fall morning outside didn't do much to lift his dark mood. He showered and dressed and made his way to the motel dining room where he forced himself to eat a good breakfast. Afterwards he felt somewhat improved. How many of the world's ills and bad decisions could be traced to a skipped meal? He was still a little down but his black mood of an hour before was beginning to lift somewhat. When he thought about the prospect of the hike with Katherine it was at least with interest if not yet with wild anticipation. Maybe talking with her he'd discover some clue to Katie Brandon's whereabouts and, even if not, Richard always enjoyed the company of an interesting and pretty girl like Katherine. He assembled his camping gear and checked out of the motel.

Richard spent the next hour in the library trying to find some clue he'd missed the day before. He discovered some maps of the area which showed more detail and he found a copy of the tax and voting roles. But there was no mention of a Katie Branden. About a quarter after twelve he gave it up and left for Katherine's apartment.

He knocked on her door at exactly twelve thirty and when she opened it he found she was already dressed for hiking: long sleeved flannel shirt, jeans, and well worn hiking boots. "I'm just getting everything packed. Come on in and I'll only be another minute." He sat down and watched as she placed a couple of last minute items in a well used frame pack and pulled it closed. When they started for the car, he carried it out for her and found it was light, not more than twenty-five pounds tops. She obviously had had experience at this.

They climbed into his SUV and she directed him towards the road they wanted. As they started off she asked, "Have you had lunch yet?"

"No," Richard replied, "but I had a late breakfast. What about you?"

"I haven't had a chance yet. I was going to suggest we just stop for some hamburgers on the way out of town, it that's OK. You should probably eat something, too. It's a fairly strenuous hike."

Suddenly Richard did feel hungry. "That sounds like a good idea. Where did you have in mind?"

She directed him to a fast food joint and in another ten minutes they were on a small country road on their way out of town. After a couple of miles she pointed out a turnoff and the road switched to a gravel route. This twisted up into the hills and soon narrowed to a single lane. Then the gravel disappeared and the way continued as an unsurfaced rough trail, but still wide enough for the car. At last this ended in a small circular area just big enough to turn around and park two or three cars. "The rest of the way is on foot," Katherine said. "It should take us about three hours or so."

Richard and Katherine got their packs out of the back of the car and Richard carefully locked the vehicle. When he set the alarm Katherine laughed. "You're not in the big city any more," she said. "It's not very likely - about one chance in a million - that anyone will even come by here and if they did, your stuff would be safe."

Richard smiled in slight embarrassment. "Well, I'm still used to the city. And I go by the saying, Trust everyone, but always cut the cards."

"I guess that's probably good advice. But if I always went with that, I probably wouldn't be coming on this hike with a near stranger, now would I?"

They shouldered their packs, checked waist belts and boot laces, and began moving along the trail which led away from the parking area. The trail looked nearly unused and Richard began to believe that it was pretty unlikely they would see anyone else at all. They immediately began to climb through the deep woods. The air was cool - in the low sixties - so the hiking was comfortable despite the hard exercise. Richard prided himself on keeping in shape and even with his heavy schedule made time for hard workouts several times a week. Yet traveling the steep path, lugging a full pack, was hard work. He noticed that Katherine seemed to have little trouble setting a quick pace and guessed she must do a lot of climbing.

She led the way, always higher. Richard followed behind her, content to be walking in the quiet woods with the incredible color of fall leaves and also content with the view of Katherine's buttocks snugly fitted into her jeans. She was actually a very pretty woman he decided. Her hair was tied back in a pony tail and she had rolled her shirt sleeves up above her elbows. She moved with an easy, relaxed motion, swinging her arms for balance as she pushed one foot up the hillside and then the other. After half an hour she called a halt for a drink of water. They dropped their packs for a five minute break while they drank and checked their boot laces. Then they started again.

The day was clear with only a few fluffy white clouds crossing the deep blue of the autumn sky. A light breeze cooled them and occasionally stirred the crisp fall leaves. Hickories and soft maples painted the woods with splashes of bright yellow while the hard maples, sumac, and scarlet oaks contributed accents of red and a dozen other species added various oranges and browns. The frost had long sense removed the annoyance of bugs, but the smaller animals - squirrels and chipmunks - still dashed about preparing for winter. After about three hours the path began to level out. Suddenly Katherine stopped. "Here's where we intersect the old Wilderness Road," she said, pointing along a direction slightly to their left.

Richard looked where she was indicating. Using a lot of imagination he could just make out what might have been an old trail or wagon road. He looked back the other way and thought he could see where the road went in that direction, too. "I've hiked the Wilderness Road Trail and I don't ever remember seeing this," he said.

"You wouldn't. The Road, like most routes, changed with time and use. This part became disused and isn't part of the best known route. It intersects the main part about four miles that way." She pointed to their right. "In Katie Branden's day this was well used. The old buildings are about another mile along to our left."

They continued along the ghost of the old road, sometimes seeing where countless wagons had left ruts and sometimes having to guess at the location of the road from the lines of trees on either side. In about twenty minutes Katherine pointed off to their right. "There's a nice campsite over there about fifty yards. Why don't we set up the tents and if it's still light we can go over to the ruins tonight. If not, there's always tomorrow morning."

"Sounds good to me," Richard answered, following her. They descended slightly and came to an open area near the edge of the hillside. A small stream flowed along one side of the clearing and dropped over a rock ledge down the hillside. The sun was nearly down and Venus was a bright spot in the darkening cobalt of the sky. In a short time the full moon would be rising behind them, but now looking past the edge of the hill, Richard could see out over a series of ridges and valleys, draped in shadow, with no sign of civilization at all.

They stood and stared at the view for a full minute. "I expect this is a lot like the way it looked when Daniel Boone first came through here in the seventeen seventies," Katherine said. "Only we know there are thousands of people living within a few miles and he knew he was hundreds of miles from civilization. I often wonder what Katie Branden thought when she looked out here, living up here by herself, only seeing the occasional traveler."

"I expect it could get kind of lonely," Richard replied. "And yet, it's so peaceful. No pressure, no rush. I'm not sure, but I think I might like that."

"Ah, if only we didn't have to make a living," Katherine said wistfully. Richard said nothing, but he was thinking that he actually didn't have to do anything to make a living any more. He could live quite well on what he had already accumulated. "Well," Katherine finally said, "we'd better get the tents set up.

They turned away from the view and began to set up their camp. Each had brought a small dome tent and now they cleared two circles next to each other and soon had the brightly colored hemispheres erected. The shadows were rapidly advancing and Katherine suggested, "Maybe we should go ahead and eat supper. Then when the moon comes up we can probably go take a quick look. That is," she teased, "if you're not afraid of ghosts."

Richard smiled at her remark and began getting out the small butane stove and the freeze dried stew they had brought. Katherine let him prepare the food while she cleared a small circle on a large flat rock and used some small stones to make a fire ring. By the time the stew was ready she had a small fire going and had moved a couple of rocks over to sit on. They ate sitting side by side staring into the dancing flames. When the sun had gone down the temperature had dropped and both of them had donned jackets. The fire's heat now felt welcome.

When they had finished eating they continued to sit, watching the fire, and talking. The subject returned to Katie Branden - the one from the seventeen hundreds. "I told you I was related to her," Katherine said. "I even have one of her early journals. I mean me, not the historical society. When I was just six or seven my great grandmother used to tell me stories about Katie. At the time I was too young to know it but she couldn't have known Katie personally. Katie would have died before she was born. But she told the stories so well I thought she must have grown up with her. Anyway, she said I reminded her a lot of Katie and Granny used to call me Katie' instead of Kathy like everyone else. Now, I guess Granny got her stories from her grandmother, but at the time I thought she had known Katie as a girl herself."

They continued to talk for awhile and gradually the Hunters' moon rose behind them, sending its light through the cool October air to illuminate the woods. When it had risen enough that moonlight was striking the ground Katherine asked, "Want to go explore and look for ghosts?"

Her words brought a slight shiver to Richard, but he quickly answered, "Sure, as long as we can find our way back."

"Don't worry. Bring a flashlight, but don't turn it on. One flash and your night vision's gone for a half hour. I know the path so just stay with me." They stood and each got a small flashlight from the packs. "Ready?" Katherine asked. Richard nodded and she took his hand, leading him back out to the old Wilderness Road.

They moved on down the road, the moonlight and long, low shadows actually making it easier to locate. In about five minutes a dark shape loomed up on their left. Katherine led Richard over towards it and as he got closer he could see it was a small frame house. But one that had not been lived in for a long, long time. "This was Richard Franklin's house. Katie's son, remember? He moved back here some time in the eighteen thirties and lived here until the eighteen seventies. You can see a barn and a couple of sheds out back. There's also a smoke house and a well."

They prowled around the place for a little while and then Richard asked, "Where's Katie's house?"

"A little farther along. Come on." She again took his hand and led him on down the Road. In three or four minutes another dark mass loomed to their left. They approached and Richard could see it, too, was the ruins of a house. Some walls were still standing, but most had fallen in. It looked as though it had started as a log home and had later had clapboard rooms added.

"This was Katie's and John's house, the one they built about 1800. In the daylight you can see the foundations for some outbuildings and sheds, too. And over that way" - she pointed off into the darkness - "Over there is the family graveyard. Katie and John and several others are buried there.

Richard strained to see the other ruins but could make out nothing in the moonlight. But he did notice that ground fog had started forming in the low areas. Just like his last visit to the Cumberlands a month ago. As he watched, the fog began to increase and flow down the mountainside towards them. Katherine was again tugging at his hand and he broke away from his thoughts to follow her farther down the Road.

They only went a few hundred yards and then Katherine said, "If we go over this way a piece you can see the ruins of Katie's original cabin. That is, if I can find it tonight. It's off the road a ways and can be kind of tricky to spot, especially at night."

She looked around and seemed to notice the fog for the first time. "It's beginning to get misty. We'd better watch it. Up here the fog can come up so fast that you suddenly find yourself engulfed and then it can be awfully hard to find the trail."

Richard murmured agreement and then, almost to himself, said, "Then fog slides down the mountain; Covering the low ground, the streams, the lovers."

Katherine turned and looked at him. "What did you just say?"

Somewhat embarrassed, Richard said, "Nothing really. Just part of a poem I read somewhere."

"Could that be a poem that starts, Moonlight silvers the land; The trees, the streams, the lovers there'."

Surprised, Richard mumbled, "I think it might be. I don't remember."

"Where did you read it?" she asked.

"I don't really remember. It could have been anywhere. Why?"

Katherine looked at him a second. "Nothing. I just wondered. We'd better be going back to camp before the fog really sets in. We can come back here in the morning." With that she tugged on his hand and started back down the trail towards their camp.

By the time they got back to their campsite, the mist was beginning to block out everything at ground level. Moonlight still flooded down, but now it encountered a gray blanket before it reached the ground. In just a few more minutes the fog began to block the moon and Richard was very happy to be back at the tents.

They built up the fire again and sat on the rocks near it. Katherine talked a little more about the Brandens and then began to ask Richard about himself. He told her about selling stocks and trading and the high pressure world of finance. He had learned long ago never to discuss his personal finances, so his success in the market was never mentioned, but Katherine got the impression he was reasonably successful.

Then the conversation became more personal. He found himself telling her about Brenda and she revealed a little of herself to him. There had been a man, about two years ago, whom she thought she was ready to marry. But he had wanted her to leave Middleburo and go to New York and she had flatly refused.

As they talked Richard found himself becoming more and more attracted to her. Katie no longer seemed so real or so urgent. It wasn't that he had stopped believing in what had happened only a month ago, but it seemed more like something experienced a long time past and now slowly fading. He still knew that when he had last kissed Katie, he had been completely in love with her. And, he told himself, he still was. The problem was that she no longer seemed to exist. Like a very real dream. One that is so real you're not sure you've really awakened, but that fades as you realize you have.

At last they had let the fire die down to coals and now even these were fading away. Katherine yawned and this triggered a yawn from Richard. "I guess we'd better call it a night," he said. "You can show me the rest in the morning."

"I guess so," Katherine replied. Richard stood and offered her his hand. She took it and stood up facing him.

"I'd like to thank you for bringing me up here," Richard started.

"No need. I've enjoyed it." She started to turn away and then turned back. "And, Richard, I'm really glad you stopped by. If you'd already found this other Katie, I might never have met you." Then she turned and ducked into her tent.

Richard felt somewhat perplexed. He was feeling much the same as she seemed to be. He was becoming strongly attracted to Katherine. Attracted in more than a friendly way. He felt confused. Was his Katie still waiting somewhere for him to return. By the next full moon he had said. The next full moon was up there now. And to make matters even more confusing he was starting to have trouble separating Katie and Katherine. He would look at Katherine's face and see parts of Katie. And when he tried to remember exactly what Katie had looked like, he kept seeing parts of Katherine. At last he shook his head and went to his own tent where he spent a restless night, his mind filled with confused and surreal dreams.

Richard awoke shortly after dawn. He knew he wasn't going back to sleep so he dressed and began to heat water for tea. The fog was thick and he couldn't see more than a few feet, but the sun was up there somewhere. He could tell that from the time and from the light color of the fog above him. But he couldn't see the sky at all.

He was sipping a steaming mug of tea when he heard sounds from Katherine's tent. Guessing she was waking up, he put more water on to boil and when she emerged from her green nylon hemisphere he handed her a mug of tea and said, "Oatmeal in about two minutes."

She smiled at him and said, "Such service. Maybe I should keep you around." For some reason Richard felt extraordinarily pleased with that.

As they ate their breakfast the fog began to clear. It still covered the ground but now they could see through the woods and sunlight began streaming down from an azure sky. Soon they were headed back to the ruined buildings.

They went back up the road to where they had turned around the night before. Katherine led them off the path onto an even more overgrown trail. As they moved on Richard felt a cold prickle along his spine. Call it a premonition. Call it intuition. Call it a suspicion. Whatever you wanted to call it Richard knew - he just knew - what he would soon see. And he was right. As they moved down the path he saw the outlines of what had once been a small log cabin. The stone fireplace and part of the chimney still stood along with the rocks which supported the lower layers of log. There were still logs lying to outline the single large room. A pane of broken glass lay where there had been a window. And the iron hinges, now rusted, lay on the ground next to where he had stood at the door and knocked.

Katherine hadn't noticed anything and was still talking. "This is Katie's original cabin. She lived here with her parents for several years, then by herself, and finally with John Franklin. Just one large room."

"No," Richard said quietly. "There was a second room. Her parents'. After they died she used it for a bedroom."

Katherine turned and stared at him. He pointed to where the doorway had been, to where he had carried her from the window that night. "See. Right there was the door and there was a small bedroom right there. In the big room there was a table where she ate and where she wrote in her journal. And there were two chairs facing the fireplace where she would also sit and write."

Katherine was looking at him intently. Then Richard shook his head and said, "At least that's the way I imagine it."

Still uncertain Katherine led him around the ruins and then they started back the way they had come. When they reached Katie's second house she asked, "Want to see the family graveyard?"

Richard dreaded doing just that. And yet he wanted it more than almost anything. "OK," was all he managed to say.

Katherine led him over to a small rectangle, surrounded by walls of piled stones. Inside were several headstones, carved of native limestone. Silently she led him to one near the inside of the wall just below an ancient white oak. Richard knelt to read the inscription: Katie Branden. 1778-1867. Husband of John. Beloved of Richard."

Another chill went through him. "Beloved of Richard?" he asked uncertainly.

"I think that must have been her son, Richard. Once I saw a rubbing of this stone. If you look very carefully right above Richard' you can see that nearly smooth spot. The rubbing looked like it might have once said mother' there. Beloved mother of Richard.' For some reason that single word seems to have worn away more than the others."

"Yes. That must be it. It's the only thing that would make sense." Richard continued to stare at the stone.

After awhile they went back to their campsite and packed up everything. The fog had now disappeared and brilliant autumn sunshine splashed over the bright leaves and the moving water of the small stream.

When they finally had everything ready, Katherine and Richard again stood looking out at the view. "You know," Richard suddenly said. "I've decided I'm going to stay here." Katherine looked sharply at him. "Not right here, but in the Middlesboro area. I'll find a place on the mountainside and finally write those novels. I've decided I belong here."

Katherine turned towards him. "I'm glad. For you, but also for me. I'm becoming quite fond of you, Richard."

He turned to her and put his hands on her shoulders. "I'm glad to hear that. It goes with something else I think I've decided." He didn't elaborate and Katherine didn't ask him to.

Instead she put her arms around his neck and kissed him. Not a kiss of burning passion, but not a peck either. A substantial kiss directly on his lips. Finally she said, "Tell me something, Richard. Where did you read that poem? It's one of Katie Branden's first. And it was never published. The only place I've ever seen it is in that journal my Granny gave me."

"Do you have all of it?" he asked, his desire to hear it evident, if not explained.

"Yes, it's there. All three verses. It goes like this.

Moonlight silvers the land; The trees, the streams, the lovers there. Playing the trees with shadows Turning the streams to silver Changing the lovers to gold.

Then fog slides down the mountain Covering the low ground, the streams, the lovers Filling the valleys Filling the hollows Filling the lovers' souls.

But with the sun The morning mists shall rise The streams once more sparkle golden The trees dapple the ground with sunlight And the lovers walk on, hand in hand.

"Where did you see it?"

"I must have some secrets, now mustn't I? Maybe some day I'll tell you the whole story. But not quite yet."

Katherine resigned herself to accepting that. Then they turned and began to walk away, hand in hand.